Never Lose Faith
by Big and Bluey
Summary: COMPLETE This is basically a TJ and Pjo fic (so please read if u r one of the couple’s fans!) and it’s based on the aftermath of Jonesy’s stabbing and tells a different story of Jo’s kidnapping. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Never Lose Faith 1/4

Rating: PG

Setting: Mt Thomas, set a week after Jonesy's stabbing

Summary: This is basically a TJ and Pjo fic (so please read if u r one of the couple's fans!) and it's based on the aftermath of Jonesy's stabbing and tells a different story of Jo's kidnapping. And I promise that I will have even ammounts of TJ and PJo so as to keep you all happy! Also, this is my first fic so feedback loved! Especially since I'm the worst write on Earth! Anyway, here it is, my crap fic:

Set a week after the accident:

NEVER LOSE FAITH 1/4:

Tess stared blankly up at the station clock, watching each second slowly drag by, every minute lasting an eternity. This whole week she'd been a mess. She couldn't concentrate on her work, and often broke down into silent sobs when nobody was watching. It had been all her fault. If she'd just stayed out of the way, Evan wouldn't be in the position he was now. She'd tried so hard to forget, but images of Evan been stabbed repeated through her mind, over and over again. She remembered seeing him lying helpless on the ground, gasping for breath. Then riding with him in the ambulance, clutching his hand with all her strength, never letting go once, in fear of losing him. Those hours afterwards waiting for any news of the operation were the worst in her entire life. Never had she felt so weak and vulnerable. But he had made it and life had continued as normal, the incident almost forgotten. The culprits had been caught and charged, Evan was recovering well, yet the guilt hung over Tess like a heavy weight on her heart.

All her colleagues were aware of this but knew better then to say something. They had tried to be supportive, but it was obvious she didn't want help. At this point PJ and Ben entered the station, quibbling over fish, chips and pizza.

"I still reckon Pizza is the go" commented Ben.

"Nah Ben we had Pizza twice this week already" retaliated PJ,

"Well count me out, I knock off early tonight" replied Jo,

"Alright, well I say Fish Ôn Chips... what do you say Benny boy?" questioned PJ,

"Fine but you're paying PJ" said Ben before seating himself at his desk and burying himself in half-finished paperwork.

By now PJ had just realised Tess' detachment from the group and walked calmly up to her desk.

"So when do you finish your shift?" asked PJ cautiously, as nowadays the slightest comment towards Tess could result in his head been bitten off.

Tess, not in the mood for a good bickering replied calmly, "Oh not for another few hours unfortunately... god I wish I could go already though...

"So why don't you? Ben, Jo and I can cover for you, and the Boss won't mind

"You sure? I don't like leaving so early...

"Come on Tess, you can knock off early once in your life! Oh and say hi to Jonesy for us

Before Tess could even reply to this though, PJ had disappeared into the Boss' office. Quietly she changed out of her uniform, and packed her bag. Five minutes later, she bade everyone goodbye and left purposefully, without even shedding one glance back.

Meanwhile Tom was hiding away in his office, contemplating much bigger problems. It seemed as though two of his officers were closer then he thought. So how come had Tatiana noticed it after a few brief meetings before he had over two years! Was he so out of touch with his co-workers that he couldn't notice a romance brewing right under his nose? Come to think of it, there had been signs. Jonesy had flirted with Tess countless times, and when he was lost in the fires she had been totally overcome with grief. He should have seen it sooner...

To his annoyance, PJ happened to crash his way through at that exact moment, almost causing Tom to fall out of his chair!

"PJ! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! Barging in here like that, almost causing a poor old man like me to have a heart attack!

"You'll live. Anyway, I just let Tess off a little early, plus I have those files you wanted...

More then a little peeved off by now, the Boss answered grouchily, "Just put them down and leave PLEASE! And next time KNOCK PJ!

"Will do Boss" PJ answered smugly as he closed the door and went back to business, leaving Tom to pour through his thoughts once again.

Back in the main station, Ben and Jo were working in total silence when PJ came back in. Shuffling through some files on Tess' desk, he suddenly remembered he hadn't checked the mail yet. Briefly looking each letter, he discarded them all as they were unimportant and turned to Jo.

"Jo, did you collect our mail this morning?

"Oh God yes! I forgot to tell you... we got another one... third one this week!

"Are you serious? Another one!" asked Ben. Over the past week they had received two anonymous notes. The first had read Ô1st Warning' while the other had Ô2nd Warning' written on it. Each had been typed on a red card.

"Yeah and get this guys, this one said ÔLast Warning

"Really? So are we taking this seriously or not?" queried Ben.

"Nah, it'll just be some kids mucking around, I mean none of us are in trouble, and Marco denies knowing anything...

"Marco has nothing to do with it PJ, and why would he! Bit back Jo.

"I never said he did! Look just throw the note away, I've got real problems" And with that he stormed back to his office in a huff, slamming the door so hard that the whole station shook.

Ten minutes, Tess had arrived at the hospital and was walking up her third flight of stairs, feeling rather stupid. She should have just taken the lift. Eventually though she reached the ward and wound through the many corridors before finally stopping just outside Evans room. Pausing to catch her breath, she pushed the door open slightly and slid through gently. To her shock though, Evan was out of bed and had changed into an old pair of pants and T-shirt.

"Evan? What are you doing? I thought you had to stay in hospital for a few more days?

"Hey don't worry," Evan soothed, quite aware of the concern in Tess' voice, "Doc let me off early, seems I'm recovering well... oww!..." Evan winced as he reached down to grab his bag.

"Are you ok?" Tess asked, her voice slightly shaky,

"Yeah I'm fine" replied Jonesy, yet it was obvious by the grimace on his face that it caused him some pain.

Right on cue, Tatiana walked into the room and picked up Jonesy's medical charts.

"Now Jonesy, you have stairs at house?

"Ahh I just have a room at the Imperial... why?

"Pub? Oh no no no, not good. Erm, stairs not good, after big operation, best stay somewhere else...

"Evan, you can stay with me in the watch house if you like, you can have Hayley's old room. Is that ok doctor?" said Tess.

"No stairs?" asked Tatiana, then continuing as Tess shook her head, " Good, Now Jones must rest, no stress for about a week? Then I'll see you again.

"Yeah that's fine. Thanks Tatiana." Replied Jonesy, as she left the room.

"Tess you don't have to do this you know

"I do Evan, it's the least I can do" replied Tess shakily.

Jonesy sensed the tremble in her voice and gently lifted her chin, so she was looking directly at him.

"Tess it wasn't your fault...

"Look are we going to go? Or do you want to hang around here all day? She questioned as she turned around and stood by the door. Sighing, he picked up his bag and passed her, pretending that he hadn't noticed the single tear run down her cheek as he walked by. Regaining her composure though, Tess wiped her eyes with her sleeve and led Evan out, leaving the issue unresolved...

A few hours later, The Boss had packed up and left, leaving just Jo, PJ and Ben in the station with an exciting mountain full of paperwork ahead of them.

"Ahh I think I've had enough for tonight, can't stand all this paperwork!" groaned Jo.

"Excuse me? And leave it all for Benny boy and I? Come on Jo!" pleaded PJ.

"I've been here since 10am guys! It's about time you did some work! IÔll catch you guys later" and in less then three minutes, she was packed up, changed, and had left.

Driving down the main road, Jo began humming along to one of her favourite tunes and started reminiscing over a few special moments she'd had with PJ. Recently they had been getting on really well and things had been looking up for them. She had been so close to getting PJ back, but she was still no closer then before. She loved him with all her heart and had tried so hard to make him realise it, but he had turned his back to her and found himself a new lover in Tatiana. She knew it was just a fling but was it to Tatiana? Did Tatiana love PJ anywhere near as much as she did? Life wasn't fair. She had tried to win PJ back by going out with Marco and not only was he not jealous, he didn't even seem to notice. Why was she so unlucky in love? It was so unfair...

Just as the tears started to stream down her face, Jo turned the corner and into her street. Reversing back into the driveway, she paused briefly to clean herself up, before forcing a smile on her face and walking up the drive to the front door. As she put the key in the lock and turned though, she heard a rustling in the trees behind her. Spinning around, she glanced through the thick branches, yet saw nothing. Presuming the noise must have come from a possum, she turned back to the door and stepped inside. Reaching for the light switch, she tried to flick the switch, only to find that the power was off. Cursing under her breath, she moved towards the door. Just as she was about to close it though, a dark shaped figure sprang out of nowhere and barged through the door, knocking her against the wall. Screaming in agony, she tried desperately to get up, but to no avail. The last thing she saw was the second figure creep up behind her and swing down its bat, before she completely blacked out...

WHAT HAPPENED TO JO?

HOW DO THEY ALL REACT TO FIND HER MISSING?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN JONESY MOVES IN WITH TESS?

WHAT WERE THE THREATS PJ, JO AND BEN RECEIVED?

**T.B.C.** if u want it to be...

If you wanna know what happens next, then please give me some feedback! I'll only write another chap if u want me too. This is my first fic and I am not a very good writer. Sorry PJo fans, but there was probably a bit more TJ then PJo in that, but I promise you that next chapter (if there is one) will have more! So that'd over and out from me, cya later!


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Never Lose Faith 2/4

Rating: PG

Setting: Mt Thomas, set a week after Jonesy's stabbing

Summary: This is basically a TJ and PJo fic (so please read if u r one of the couple's fans!) and it's based on the aftermath of Jonesy's stabbing and tells a different story of Jo's kidnapping.

Feedback: thanks guyz for all the feedback, your all so sweet! I'm not a good writer, I got a C on my last english exam! But i love BH so thats why i'm doing this.... I was gonna make this chapter short, to the point with NO romance in it, but god did that change :s oh well! anyway, here it is:

NEVER LOSE FAITH 2/4

Set after Jo's kidnapping:

Her head felt like it was been pounded by a thousand hammers at once. Her eyelids were heavy and her mouth felt dry and clammy. Suddenly coming to, she coughed and spluttered, bringing up her lunch with it. It took five minutes for the wheezing and coughing subsided before she could sit up straight and try and take in her surroundings. Her hands were tied tight behind her back and she was strapped fast to a small wooden chair. Her eyes had been blindfolded, yet she could sense she was in a dark, musty room.

Desperate to get away, she thrashed violently around, trying to loosen the ropes on her hands, yet only succeeded in bringing the chair to the ground with an almighty crash. Cursing loudly, she tried to ignore the pain in her shin as she tried to sit upright, unfortunately a feat she was unable to accomplish as she was tangled up in the now three-legged-chair. Instead, she tried to feel her way around the floor with tied hands, hoping to find the broken chair leg. After a minute or so of searching, her hands finally rested upon the missing leg. Cautiously, she wedged the broken end between her bound hands and feebly attempted to saw at the ropes restraining her. The rope was strong though and put up a good fight before finally giving in and breaking loose from her sore red wrists. Wincing in pain, she was now able to free herself from the chair and warily stand up on her two feet again. By now her head was spinning, her body ached and her vision was slightly blurred. Squinting around the room, she realised she was in a small and dark, empty cellar. She tried to turn on the light switch, but as chances were, she found the bulb had blown. The only source of light she could see came from a tiny little window in the corner. She immediately raced over to it with hope, yet to her disappointment found that it had been barred. Slowly, she began to stumble to a door at the opposite side of the room and furiously wrestled with the doorknob. It wasn't a few seconds later for her to realise that of course it was locked, she had been kidnapped after all! But why had she been kidnapped? What did they want with her?

Choosing to ponder these questions some other time though, she grabbed the broken chair leg and waited patiently behind the door. Sooner or later, someone would come and check on her, and only when that happened could she even attempt escaping. She waited patiently behind the door for what seemed like yonks, before she eventually heard the faint sound of footsteps moving towards the door. She held her breath and raised the chair leg, getting ready to clobber whoever came in. There was the rustling sound of keys and a small click before the door was thrust open and a tall dark man with broad shoulders entered. Jo reacted instantly and sprang out from behind the door and bashed him over the head, knocking him to the ground. Before he could recover though, she dashed out the door and found herself in a large kitchen. She turned into the hall and started to sprint for the front door. Suddenly she was struck down and winded, gasping for breath on the floor.

Crying in agony she looked up and noticed the man she'd bashed before walking towards her, except now he had a pool of blood running down the left side of his head. Kneeling beside her though was a second man. He was much smaller and skinnier and was in good need of a shave. Too tired to fight back, Jo lay back defeated and let the two men tie her back up. They dragged her back to the cellar, whilst yelling at each other in Italian so Jo couldn't pick up what they said. This time they moved the chair into the kitchen and dropped Jo on the hard concrete cellar floor though. As the first man left the room, the second lowered himself to Jo's level and whispered nastily in her ear, "No more escape attempts sweetheart, if you don't want to get hurt..."He smiled evilly and stood back up so he was towering over her. He gave one more sharp kick in the stomach, before leaving the cellar and leaving Jo to cower in solitude once more.

Whimpering in pain, Jo crawled over to a corner and let the tears she had held back roll down her cheeks. It was just her luck that she had been kidnapped, without a hope of escaping. Nothing ever ran smoothly for her. Why was she even here? She hadn't done anything wrong had she? Nothing made sense. Had PJ found her to be missing yet? And what about the others, what were they doing? Sighing softly, she crawled up in a tight ball to keep warm and prayed with all her might that her friends would come and find her. Somehow, somewhere they would, she convinced herself over and over again. These thoughts ran through her head for hours, until finally the depth of sleep finally overcame her...

Tess fumbled with her keys, trying to open her front door while Evan watched over her. His gaze made her feel weak at the knees, and in a moment of clumsiness, the keys slipped from her fingers and hit the ground. Feeling slightly silly, she bent to pick them up. Unfortunately Evan got to them first and gave them to her, with a great big smile on his face. As their hands met, she gazed up into his eyes and became caught up in the moment. Unable to move under his spell, Evan moved in closer and closer until he was only a hair's breadth away from her lips. Her heart beat faster and faster as she felt the warmth of his breath on her cheek. Slowly he brought his hand to her cheek and brought her lips up to meet his. As they kissed, a sweet sensation unlike any she knew before filled her entire being. Totally mesmerised by him, she fell into his strong grip and gave into his passionate kisses.

Quickly she unlocked the door and they moved inside, where Jonesy pushed her gently against the wall. His hands began to wander down from her face, exploring every curve of her body. As his hand reached for the buttons on her top though, Tess was suddenly jolted back to reality. She pushed Evan away from so he stumbled backwards and clutched his side in pain.

"Oh god, Evan I'm so sorry. Are you ok?" she inquired, knowing that it really was a stupid question to ask.

As the look of pain gradually left his face, he replied, "yeah, yeah I'm fine."

Desperate to get out of the room as soon as possible, she tried to change the subject, "umm... yeah... so Hayley's old room is free, so you can sleep there, umm... you know it's getting rather late, I think I might just go to bed..."

The unimpressed look on Jonesy's face plainly showed he had not bought it... "Tess it's nine! You can't tell me that is late! Every time I get close to you, you turn away and make up some excuse to get away from me. You have no idea how much pain you've caused me, always pushing me away, and marrying HIM! God Tess, I just don't know how much more I can take..."

His words cut deep at Tess' heart, especially since every word he spoke was true. Her cheeks flushed bright red and she couldn't control the tears that spilled down her face. Turning to face Evan again, she replied between sobs, "I'm sorry Evan... I know I've hurt you, but I've been through hell too! I just can't do this... I promised myself years ago I'd never loose myself to someone again... not after last time... sorry..."

"Tess..." he started to say, but the rest she didn't hear as she had just slammed her bedroom door closed. Collapsing on her bed, she cried out her heart's contents, until she had no more tears left to shed. Evan loved her, and god she loved him too, but how could she give in to him when last time she had been shattered into a thousand pieces? Would he follow in the same footsteps as Jack? There was no way of knowing for sure, but she was better off safe then sorry. Love just wasn't worth the heartache...

Hours later, Ben and PJ were driving home, after one very long shift...

PJ was sitting quietly in the passenger seat, watching each tree and lamp post whiz past, completely unaware of Ben's reckless driving. Ben (who was rather sleep deprived) was zooming around corners and almost topping the speed limit in a pretty bad mood. They had stayed on at the station for 3 hours after their shift, waiting for Jo to come and take over.

"When I get my hands her..." threatened Ben, who had just cut another corner.

"Come on Ben, she probably just forgot", reasoned PJ.

"That may be so, but we rang home AND her mobile at least a thousand times! I'm not gonna do a shift for her again!" yelled Ben, as he turned the curve into their street.

"Yeah well we'll talk to her when we get home, but it really isn't that big a deal Ben..." said PJ, while Ben slowed the car and pulled up into their driveway.

They both jumped out of the car and walked up onto the verandah, where Ben pulled out his keys. He leaned over to put his key in the lock, yet was surprised when the door just swung open.

"PJ..." muttered Ben, suspecting foul play.

By the grim look on PJ's face, Ben realised he was thinking the exact same thing. Slowly they stepped inside the hall and were shocked to see furniture thrown all over the place and a shattered vase on the floor. Panicking, PJ rushed up the stairs and started looking over each room. Nothing had changed in PJ's room or Ben's. Heading for Jo's room, his stomach took an almighty lurch as he opened the door. Sure enough, it was the same as before, but one thing was missing. Jo. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, he rushed back hoping it was Jo. To his disappointment though, it was just Ben.

"PJ I've checked everywhere downstairs. Nothing's missing and only the furniture has been wrecked. I can't find Jo though..." said Ben grimly.

"She's not here Ben, she's gone! I've checked all the rooms..."

"What about Marco?" interrupted Ben hastily.

Expecting the worst, PJ ran over to Marco's room and barged in. As if confirming PJ's worst fears, Marco was not there either. What was unusual though was that his room was completely bare. The wardrobe, desk and bed were all still there, but not a single possession of Marco's was left. They scaled the room from head to toe but there was nothing to be found.

Jo was missing and Marco had left. Was it just a coincidence that Marco left, right when Jo disappeared or was there something more to it. PJ sat himself down on the stairs and stared blankly at the wall. How could this have happened? Where was Jo? Had Marco taken her, or did he just happen to leave at the wrong time? If he had left though, surely he would've contacted one of them or left a note. Marco was caught up in this somehow.

Seating himself next to PJ, Ben closed his eyes and listened to his friend's short raspy breaths. After a few minutes of silence, he looked up and said softly to PJ, "I've run Tess mate. She's alerted the team and they're heading over now..." when PJ didn't answer, he continued, "They'll find her mate..."

"Will they Ben? She could be anywhere! We don't know if she's hurt, or even alive for that matter! The only clue we have is Marco and god knows where he is now!" retaliated PJ as he stormed back downstairs.

Once he reached the lounge room, he picked up the phone and dialled Marco's mobile number. When there was no answer, he tried over and over again. On the fifth try, he slammed down the phone and sat on the floor with his back against the wall. His beloved Jo had gone and there was nothing he could do. He had never felt so helpless in his life. Jo was everything he had to live for, and if she'd gone... he didn't want to think about it. Suddenly he remembered the red notes. They had received three threat notes and he had ignored them. Marco had claimed he knew nothing about them, but now as he recalled it, Marco did seem rather edgy after reading the notes. It had all been his own fault, if he'd payed a bit more attention he would have realised the threats were real and done something about them! It was too late now.

Standing up, he headed to the stairs and called Ben down. As he came, PJ headed out the front door and across the lawn, leaving no choice but for Ben to follow him. Sure that PJ had lost the plot, Ben called out to him, "PJ what are you doing mate?"

With a quick glance back, PJ yelled, "The neighbours would have seen something" and ascended the stairs of the house next door.

Ben and PJ both knocked on at least 3 doors each before gathering again in their house and comparing notes. "Ok Miss Mac, and Mr Howard both recall hearing a lot of shouting but that was all I got from them. The other two neighbours aren't home. What did you get PJ?" questioned Ben.

"Miss Maudie also heard shouting, but Old Stan reckons he saw a blue car drive away. Mrs White also saw a blue car though and she said it was an old Mitsubishi. She also caught a bit of the numberplate. The first letter was ÔE' and the numbers were Ô312', her birthday".

"Great work PJ, I'll phone Tess straight away." Replied Ben as we walked off to the phone.

Sitting back down, PJ looked over the notes he'd made. Two neighbours remembered seeing a blue car, probably a Mitsubishi. With most of the numberplate, they could easily find the owner and hopefully they'd lead him to Jo. They also had to find Marco, and when they did, he was not going to get away so easily. He was now determined to find Jo. After all, if he lost hope, what else did he have? He couldn't loose faith... not now, not ever. He'd find Jo if it was the last thing he did.

Ah I shouldn't have done this... I have an essay due in 2 days which i really need to do :S

Oh well, and btw, i'm trying to make this equally PJo and TJ... so don't yell at me if you think i put in too much or little of one couple! Hopefully you don't realise i'm bias! I generally sail one ship and send catapaults at the other, so to sail both ships smoothly is rather a challenge! Can't tell you which couple i hate though or i'm gonna be bagged...

P.S. There'll probably only be two or three chapters more...


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Never Lose Faith 3/4

Rating: PG

Setting: Mt Thomas, set a week after Jonesy's stabbing

Summary: This is basically a TJ and PJo fic (so please read if u r one of the couple's fans!) and it's based on the aftermath of Jonesy's stabbing and tells a different story of Jo's kidnapping.

Note: Sorry it has taken me months to write chapter 3 and 4 but things get hectic this time of year... had exams, camp, then in the hols had Xmas shopping to do and all that stuff and now in the new year thought it was time to finish it! Ok, here we go:

NEVER LOSE FAITH 3/4

It was 9am on a warm and sunny Tuesday morning. Jo had been missing at least 11 hours now. It seemed ironic to Tess how such a beautiful day could actually be one of the worst in their lives. The whole week had been one total mess. Evan had been stabbed and had lost his spleen. He was recovering well though and was back at the station on desk duty. Her relationship with him had taken a dramatic twist though when they'd shared a short burst of passion before she came back to her senses. As if her problems weren't stressful enough already, she now had a missing constable to add to the list. Not knowing whether she was hurt or even alive was eating Tess up inside. Yet life went on as it did every day. The sun rose, the birds sang and the Heelers were back at work.

Putting her Sergeant's mask on, she decided she could not delay the meeting any longer and pushed her thoughts away to a small corner in the back of her mind. Her job had to come first and right now her job was to find Jo. Calling all the Heelers over, she began briefing them.

"Alright, so Jo has been missing around 11 hours. She was last seen at 6pm here at the Station. We presume she drove home and was attacked as she walked through the front door. She was then dragged to a blue Mitsubishi outside the house and driven away. PJ and Ben were able to get the rego and it appears to belong to a bloke named Stephen Forte". Tess held up a photo of Stephen and stuck it up on the white board. "We checked him up on COPS and he's had priors for assault and theft. Right now he's our main suspect. Ben, PJ, can you get a warrant to search his house?

"Will do Sarg." replied Ben as he put on his hat and walked out the door. "Coming PJ? He yelled back through the open door. "Yeah" sighed PJ hesitantly as he dragged himself outside. After they left, Tess continued, "We also found that Marco is missing as well. It doesn't look like he was kidnapped too as all his possessions are gone. It's most likely he knew what was going to happen and fled. Jones, can you send out a report on the radio? We're looking for a dark red Ford, rego FJL 285. We need to find him as soon as possible".

"Yeah I'll get right on to it Sarg." Replied Jonesy only half-heartedly.

With that, Tess packed up her file and strolled back to her desk. As she sat down, Tom came up behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You're doing well Sergeant, this is tough on all of us." Soothed Tom. Forcing a smile, Tess replied, "Then why do I feel like I could be doing more?" "You're doing all you can Tess, how can we expect more from you? Although it's hard, we're just going to have to wait now." "Wait. For what? For all we know they could have killed her!" exclaimed Tess. "I don't believe that for a second. Why would they go to all the bother of kidnapping her just to kill her without getting anything in return? They haven't asked for a ransom yet. We'll find her. When he got no reply, he gave her a quick pat before confining himself back in his office.

Jo's disappearance had impacted hard on all of them. Everyone had held themselves together though and were working as best they could to find her. It wouldn't take long for someone to crumble under the pressure though. He could only pray that they'd find Jo before that time.

"Got the warrant." Called PJ as he barged through the station door.

"Oh good, Ben and I will go over right now," said Tess as she grabbed the warrant off PJ. "Tess, we got the warrant, Ben and I are going," grumbled PJ as he tried pushing Ben out the door. "PJ, I don't think it's such a good idea letting you go..." said Tess, "Tess, you stay here, I'm going. I won't do anything drastic either," said PJ, pushing past Tess, "Alright, Alright but don't let me regret this..." muttered Tess as PJ and Ben walked out the station door.

"Damn her" cursed PJ "Bloody Tess, why shouldn't I be out here!" "PJ, You know why Tess didn't want you to go, so just cool it ok? Blowing off steam isn't gonna help! You're not the only one suffering," said Ben grouchily. "Yeah I know," sighed PJ as he calmed down, "Sorry" he said wearily before flopping into the passenger seat. "Let's go".

They'd been working in silence all morning. There were so many things Evan wanted to say but he just couldn't seem to find the words. The timing wasn't quite right either. Jo's disappearance was the topic of the day, he'd be the last thing on her mind. Desperate to break the silence, Jonesy asked, "So... what're you thinking about?". Stupid, he thought. Of course she was worried about Jo, he was too. Still he couldn't help but indulge in his memories of the night before. He had been so close to winning her love, yet again she had pulled away from him. He hadn't even spoken to her about it yet. After another minute of silence, she finally replied, "Jo, and you and every other problem in my life...

"Me? Problem? Right." Mumbled Jonesy, taking his eyes off her and concentrating on the paperwork in front of him instead.

"Yes, last night was a mistake ok? I shouldn't have let it get that far..." replied Tess coolly.

"Let it get that far? Tess, we hardly got through the friking door!" groaned Jonesy.

"I don't want anymore... flings. I don't want a relationship. I don't..." muttered Tess, unsure of what to say next.

"You don't what?" interrupted Jonesy, obviously pissed off, "Don't wanna be with me? Don't love me? Bloody hell Tess we both know that's not true". Looking back at her he could see unshed tears gathering in her eyes and instantly regretted bickering at her. She didn't need this arguing, not today.

"Evan," she pleaded, "Just give it up ok? I don't need this... you. I can't be with you now or ever alright, so just stop it...". "Right" muttered Jonesy, turning back to his own desk.

"...This is horse shit! First you guys tear my place apart and now your dragging me into the bloody cop shop! I got better things to do you know!" yelled a coarse female voice, interrupting Tess' thoughts. "Yeah yeah, don't we all" groaned Ben.

Curious as to what all the hubbub was about, she stepped outside the station to find Ben and PJ with a short, blond female with bruises all over her arms and face.

"What's all the commotion about?," she demanded to know.

"Found her at Stephen's house, presume she's his girlfriend. We searched the place but there was nothing there, no sign of Stephen or Jo..." said PJ quietly as Ben took the girl inside.

"Right, well she must know where Stephen is, I'll interview her," said Tess, following Ben inside.

"I'm asking the questions ok PJ?" asked Tess, knowing PJ was likely to blow up like a big red balloon and loose his cool.

"Yeah sure," replied PJ, even though he had no intention of doing so.

Keeping an eye on PJ, Tess sat down and began the interview. "Alright, so what's your name then?" she queried. When the girl didn't speak though, she continued, "You're not doing yourself any favours by not talking to us. We're not after you or anything you've done ok? We're just looking for Stephen and we thought you may be able to help us." Again, silence. Noticing PJ was growing a deeper and deeper red, she hurriedly went on, "Did Stephen give you those bruises on your arms and face?" silence. "If he did, he's not worth protecting. One of our colleagues is missing and we believe he's holding her hostage. Her life could be in danger, we really need your help to find her..." silence.

"WHERE IS HE? You must know where he is, you're his girl aren't you!" bellowed PJ, unable to contain his anger any longer.

"I DON'T KNOW!" shouted the girl back with tears forming in her eyes. "I don't know ok? I'd help you if I could but I can't. You don't know what he's like, he's so angry and violent. I tried to leave him yesterday but he bashed me up and said he'd kill me if I left him! I'm scared of him..." she whimpered, letting the tears flow. "We can help you..." "Sophie" she replied. "Sophie we can protect you from him, we just need your help in finding him," said Tess. "Believe me, I have no reason to protect him, I'd tell you if I knew where he was.

"Ok then. Well thank you for your time Sophie," replied Tess, wrapping up the interview.

"That's it! We're just letting her go!" shouted PJ when she'd gone.

"She doesn't know where he is PJ," said Tess calmly as she sat back down at her desk.

"And you believed her?" he queried. "Yes as a matter of fact I do PJ, she honestly wanted to help us." she replied.

"Yeah but we're still no closer to finding Jo, are we?" muttered PJ as he sat on Tess' desk.

"We're gonna find her mate, something's bound to come up soon, you'll see," said Jonesy coming out of the kitchen. "Made you coffee anyway" he said placing two cups on Tess' desk. "Thanks Jonesy" smiled Tess, "Yeah thanks mate" PJ said glumly.

Brrrrrrring brrrrrrrrrrrrrring hummed the telephone suddenly. "Mt Thomas Police, Senior Constable Stewart speaking," said Ben as he rushed to answer the phone, "...really... yes that's him, we'll be right over. Thanks" said Ben and hung up the phone. "Cops at St. Davids picked up Marco speeding on the highway, looks like he was heading for Melbourne," Reported Ben.

Shocked by the sudden good news, PJ stood up too fast and spilt the coffee all over the floor. "Ah damn it!" cursed PJ whilst wiping himself with a tissue, "So are they holding him at the station?". "Yeah, we've gotta go pick him up" said Ben, "Alright, I'll come with you Ben," said Tess, picking up her jacket. "Tess..." complained PJ, "No PJ, you get cleaned up. Seeya later," she said and followed Ben out the door.

Back in his office, PJ was trying his hardest to keep his mind on work yet thoughts of Jo kept leaking into his mind, destroying his concentration. Throwing his pen down in frustration he leant back in his chair and covered his face with his hands. He had been an emotional roller coaster today, he didn't know if he felt angry, anxious, bitter, scared or all of them at once. All he knew was that it was slowly tearing him apart. If only he'd told Jo what he felt for her earlier. For all he knew it could already be too late...

"Got him," yelled Ben as they entered the Station with Marco.

"Good, I'm gonna join in the interview ok?" requested PJ

"Fine, you can come in, but I'm asking the questions again ok?" replied Tess, not in the mood for another argument, "Take him into the interview room Ben" she said as she turned towards the Boss' office. "Boss?" she asked as she peeked her head around the door. "Come in Tess" he said as he beckoned her in. "Any developments?" he asked, "Yes, Marco's been found. He's in the interview room right now if you want to sit in," said Tess. "Yes alright then," said the Boss, following her out the door.

"Marco, you may not be aware of this but Jo has gone missing. She disappeared around the same time you did actually. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" asked Tom.

By now Marco was sweating profusely and was shaking in his seat. "Yes I do and it's all my fault she's gone!" he whined.

"Marco, what do you mean Ôit's all your fault'?" asked Tess.

"I have a gambling problem ok? I needed money!" continued Marco, "Stephen leant me some and now he wants it back..." "But you don't have the money," said Tess, "So they kidnapped Jo. Is that what happened," "Yes. They knew she was my girlfriend and took her..." "The warnings on the red cards, they were meant for you?" asked Tom. "Yes, all of them," responded Marco. "So when did you leave the house?" asked Tess. "I got home last night to find the place in pieces. There was a note on the door... I panicked! I packed my stuff and left straight away..." said Marco. "Wait a second, the note, what did it say?" interrupted Tess. "It said he's got Jo and he wants his money," answered Marco, "How much," queried Tom. Marco looked down at his lap for a few seconds before replying, "I borrowed 30 grand, but Stephen is really pissed now... He want's $100,000".


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Never Lose Faith 4/4

Rating: PG

Setting: Mt Thomas, set a week after Jonesy's stabbing, Jo Ônapped, etc.

Summary: This is basically a TJ and PJo fic (so please read if u r one of the couple's fans!) and it's based on the aftermath of Jonesy's stabbing and tells a different story of Jo's kidnapping.

Note: Finally! I've finished! Taken me about 5 months... oh well.

NEVER LOSE FAITH 4/4

"How much," queried Tom. Marco looked down at his lap for a few seconds before replying, "I borrowed 30 grand, but Stephen is really pissed now... He want's $100,000".

"You Ôborrowed' $30,000 off a crook!" exploded PJ, who'd been standing patiently in the corner until now, "Are you insane! Jo's missing because you can't keep your head around a few pokies? If anything has happened to her..." he threatened as he moved towards Marco.

"PJ Please." Said Tess, standing up between Marco and PJ, "Perhaps you'd better leave it up to us..." she reasoned, showing PJ to the door, "What and leave you guys with this piece of filth!" spat PJ. "PJ, just leave! warned Tom who was starting to loose his patience with PJ. "Fine, fine, whatever is easier for you" replied PJ sarcastically as he slammed his way out the door.

Sitting back down, Tess continued, "Have they arranged a meeting place for the exchange yet Marco?". "Umm yeah, I was meant to drop the money off by Cutter's Bridge about two hours ago" said Marco bleakly, whilst staring blankly at the bare wall ahead. "two hours ago? But you where heading into Melbourne then..." "Yeah I know," said Marco abruptly, interrupting Tess, "I didn't have the money so I didn't show.

"I think that's all we need to know Tess," said Tom, standing up, "Interview suspended at 5:25pm. You're free to leave now Marco" he continued, showing Marco out of the interview room. "Can I stay here, please! These guys are dangerous, they probably know I haven't shown up by now and are gonna come after me!" said Marco agitatedly, refusing to leave the Station. "Fine, fine, but don't make a nuisance of yourself." replied Tom with a sigh, "As for the rest of you, in my office now".

Meanwhile, Jo was back in the dusk gloomy cellar, slowly getting weaker and weaker from dehydration. Grasping at her last ounces of energy,

she lifted her head partially from the floor and folded her legs underneath her body to half sit – half lean against the wall. Finding her voice, she called out through the darkness, hoping desperately that someone would hear her calls.

Finally, Fabio crashed through the cellar door and shone his torch in her face. "What's your problem Bitch!" he spat at her as he pulled the bond out of her mouth, allowing her to answer him. "Water," she whimpered softly, "want some water". "Water eh?" he replied, "Fine, I'll get you some water if that's gonna shut you up! he said and sprinted back out of the cellar.

Before she could make a rush for the door though, he returned, carrying with him a small, clear jug. He leant down beside her and placed the jug in her bound hands when Stephen thumped heavily through the door. "What are you doing you idiot?" snarled Stephen at his younger brother, "Just giving her some water, she's dehydrated," exclaimed Fabio. "Did you get the money?" he asked, standing tall to face Stephen. "No. He didn't turn up. Waited an hour as well." Replied Stephen sharply, "So what do we do now?" queried Fabio, "We'll wait. Let Marco stew for a while, we'll call him with new arrangements tomorrow," Said Stephen as he and Fabio started heading up the stairs and out the door, "If he doesn't show tomorrow, we'll kill her. That oughta teach him a lesson.

"Any leads Boss?" queried Ben once they'd all settled inside Tom's office.

"Apparently Marco has a gambling debt and borrowed $30,000 from Stephen. Looks like he kidnapped Jo to get his money back." Explained the Boss, lying back in his chair. "So have they sent a ransom note yet?" asked Ben, "Yes, but the exchange was meant to occur two hours ago..." replied Tom uneasily. "Fantastic!" yelled PJ sarcastically, "We've still got no idea where she is and now we're just gonna wait until we get a call from some bloody crooks are we?" he continued, pacing recklessly around the room.

"I don't like this either Boss. We can't just wait until the kidnappers make contact again, that could take ages," added Jonesy, "I agree Boss," said Tess, "I think we should bring in Sophie again. She may know of people or places Stephen goes to". After a few moments' hesitation, Tom finally looked up and replied, "Right, let's do it".

"I don't know how I can help you," said Sophie frustratedly as she entered the interview room with Ben and Jonesy.

"Stephen is holding a colleague of ours prisoner somewhere and we're just trying to find out where Sophie," said Jonesy calmly as he sat down opposite her. "Sophie," started Ben, "Do you know anyone Stephen might deal with in these sorts of matters, or places Stephen would go?

Taking a few seconds to think, Sophie replied, "His brother Fabio hangs around a lot. He and Stephen did over that Jewellery Shop five years ago. Stephen might have gone to his place".

Ten minutes later, they had all gathered in the main station.

"Yep, Fabio's had priors for theft," said Tess triumphantly over the top of her computer. "Right so do we think Fabio's involved?" asked Jonesy, "I'd say so," replied Ben.

"I've been thinking this through" interrupted Tom, "These guys are amateurs, they don't know anything about kidnapping someone, I mean Stephen was stupid enough to use his own car... I reckon they'd be stupid enough to hold her in their house".

"Right," said Tess, thinking it over, "Well she's not at Stephen's, we checked there, so she may just be at Fabio's house... "I think it's worth a shot," added Tom.

"Let's hit it then," confirmed Tess, "PJ, Ben and I can go..." "Wait a second," said Jonesy abruptly, "Tess, anything could happen, it's too dangerous for you to go in your condition, I'll go".

"My pregnancy you mean?" replied Tess harshly, "I'm just as capable of hitting this place as PJ and Ben are! You're just out of hospital and probably shouldn't even be on desk duty!". "Boss I'm fine, doctor let me out, didn't she?" said Jonesy to Tom, "you'll need all of us there anyway".

There was not enough time to argue about it. "Ok, you all go, and I'll stay and man the station. Tess, Jonesy, I want you two to be extra careful alright?

"Right Boss," they answered simultaneously. "Let's go," said Ben.

"This is the police, you're surrounded," said Tess calmly into the megaphone. She and Ben we're crouching behind the police van, whilst Jonesy and PJ were standing behind some nearby trees. They were ready to bombard the house if necessary.

"We know you're holding Constable Parish hostage," Tess continued, "All we want is to get her out of here safely. If you let her go, we may be able to strike a compromise," she said, hoping that they weren't already too late.

Suddenly the side door swung open. Automatically, the Heelers all spun around and faced their guns towards the open door. Stephen emerged with Jo in a headlock and a shotgun pointed to her head. Fabio followed and pointed his gun with a mad rage at the Heelers.

"Nobody move, or we'll blow her head off!" yelled Fabio, psychotically waving his gun around as they made their way to the front of the house. ÔJust.. just let her go, and then we'll go away," said Tess coolly, placing the megaphone and her gun on the ground. Slowly, she moved around the side of the car so she could talk to Stephen and Fabio. "TESS, get back!" yelled Jonesy from his tree, a few metres from where Tess was standing. Ignoring his warning, Tess took a small step towards Fabio.

"GET BACK BITCH!" he yelled, waving the gun in her face. Tess replied, unshaken by his burst of rage, "I'm unarmed, I just want to talk." By now Fabio was sweating like mad and shaking nervously. The situation was obviously too much for him to handle.

Without warning, two gunshots were fired. Everything that followed happened in a blur. Tess choked back a scream and fell into the police van. Jo seized the opportunity by kicking Stephen in the shin and ducking, just as PJ shot Stephen in the shoulder. A moment later and PJ was on top of Stephen, putting him in handcuffs. Fabio was already dead. Ben checked his pulse, then ran over to where Jonesy and Tess lay.

Evan had reached the car and was ripping the bullet-proof jacket off Tess. Her body was convulsing in pain, and tears were streaming down her face. She groaned as Evan finally managed to take the jacket off her. Quickly, he scoured the jacket and came across two bullet holes. "Thank god," he said, cradling her head in his arms.

"Evan..." she whimpered faintly, groaning with pain, "the baby". Evan's sense of relief was suddenly taken over to by fear and panic. "Shit, BEN! Get an ambo, quick!

"So what happened out there? Where is everyone?" asked Tom temperamentally as Ben entered his office.

Ben, still a bit jittery, took a seat and began explaining. "Jo's fine. She's outside right now with PJ. Tess and Jonesy are at the hospital. It looks like she'll be fine, but they're not so sure about her baby...

Tom didn't look at all pleased. "So how on earth did this all happen anyway?" he continued.

"Stephen came out of the shed with a shotgun at Jo's head, and Fabio was waving his gun at us. Tess tried to talk to him and clam him down, but he lost control and shot at her. I shot back at him three times and killed him," said Ben.

"What about Jo?" interrupted Tom abruptly. "Well, Stephen hesitated, she kicked him and PJ took the chance to shoot him. He has a wounded shoulder, nothing major".

"Right," said Tom, holding his head up with his hands. He was getting too old for all this. "As long as everyone is alive and safe...

PJ lay back on the grass and closed his eyes. It had been such a long day. He'd come so close to losing Jo today. What would he have done without her? She meant so much to him, but he could never summon up the courage to tell her.

"I was terrified I'd loose you Jo.." he said solemnly, staring at the clouds moving by. He heard her moving beside him and felt her hand slide into his grasp. Smiling, he rolled over and faced her. She was so beautiful. "Jo, I've been meaning to tell you for a while now... I'm in love with you".

Her heart felt like it had skipped a beat? Did he just say he loved her? PJ had been all she could think of whilst she had been trapped in that small dark cellar. She had remembered all the good times they'd had together and had prayed for God to give her one more chance with the man she loved. Thankfully, it looked as though God had listened and felt she had something more to live for. Perhaps this was it.

She beamed at him and answered, "I've been waiting so long to hear that." He moved in closer and planted his lips on her own. The kiss was so sweet; it sent tingles down Jo's spine. PJ whispered, "I'll never loose you again...

Tess couldn't stop the pools of tears flowing down her cheeks. She lost her baby, all because of her stubbornness. If she had just stayed out of the operation, she wouldn't have been shot and her baby would still be alive. She felt hollow, as though she'd just lost everything.

Evan was by her side and had been for hours. His face was also wet with tears, and she could see that he was hurting too. She was glad for his company.

"Tess," he began, breaking the silence that was hanging between them. "I'm so sorry. I can't begin to imagine how you're feeling...

"I'm so stupid!" Tess cried out, "I shouldn't have gone out there, the boss would have gone instead... it's all my fault." Her voice was quavering and her head felt like a lead weight. The only thing that was stopping her breaking down completely was Evan's strong grasp on her.

Evan tightened his hold on her hand and hugged her close to his chest. "It's not your fault! These things happen... you can't blame yourself," he said soothingly.

She knew he was right, she couldn't blame herself, but the guilt was still there. She was trembling uncontrollably and was glad, now more than ever, for his unrelenting support. He never failed to be there when she needed him most.

Gently, she disentangled herself from his hold and gazed into his eyes. They were as red and puffy as her own, yet she could still see that deep, undying love for her burning inside him. She wanted to feel his love now more than ever.

"I don't know if I can get through this without you," she sobbed, "I need you". Evan lifted her chin gently and drew closer, "I love you Tess. It hurts me so much to see you in this pain, but I know we can get through this _together _if you let me into your life". He leaned in closer and kissed her, ever so softly. It was filled with so much love and tenderness that for one short moment, she forgot all her troubles and only felt his love.

As soon as the kiss was over though, the pain flooded back and overwhelmed her. She grabbed Evan in a tight hug and whispered in his ear, "I love you so much. Hold me and don't ever let me go". Evan brushed a strand of hair from her tearstained face and smiled weakly, "don't worry. I won't".

It's over. Wow that took me a while. I started it a year ago, and only now have I actually finished it! I'm so glad it's done though, such a feeling of accomplishment! Sorry about the ending PJo fans, I'm a die hard T/J fan so I guess I got carried away. I have found it difficult to write about both couples so I think from now on I will just stick to T/J stories. Anyway, for now, that's it. Hope you enjoyed.


End file.
